SPRINGDALE, NL — The holiday break for the Central Senior Intermediate Hockey League was not kind to the Springdale Braves.
It came at the worst time for the previously hot new team in the circuit. They were riding a four-game win streak and had claimed the top spot in the league standings with a 6-2 record.
A four-game losing streak since returning to action has them now sitting at .500.
They remain in second place in the five-team league, but are just two points out of last — a position they must avoid to make the playoffs.
After losing a pair of competitive games to the Lewisporte Seahawks the previous weekend at home, the Braves suffered road losses of 10-3 and 5-0 to the Twillingate Combines last weekend.
Combines 10, Braves 3
The Braves, looking to rebound from a shutout Saturday night, could do nothing to slow the Combines offence.
After nearly a scoreless five minutes the floodgates opened for the hometown team from Twillingate. The opposition scored four times in less than five minutes and took a 4-0 lead, before settling on a 4-1 advantage after the first period.
The Combines scored the first three goals of the second period and eventually held a 9-2 lead after two.
Kristian Greenham and Marcus Adams had two goals and two assist each, while teammate John Hull also scored twice in the win. Luc Dearing had a goal and three assists, while Cameron Pardy had a goal and an assist. Steve Earle, and Brady Watkins rounded out the scoring for the victors.
Trenton Johanson had a goal and an assist to lead the Braves, while teammates Josh Osmond and Sherman McKay also had goals in the loss.
Combines 5, Braves 0
In the Saturday night weekend series opener, the Braves could not score on Bobby Gorman and the Combines. Twillingate broke open a 1-0 contest with three second-period goals.
John Hull and Marcus Adams scored twice, while Cameron Pardy added the other goal for the Combines.
The Northeast Sabres were off this past weekend, but still hold down first place with a 7-2-1 record. They host the Braves this weekend with a two-game set in Baie Verte.
The Braves are hoping to end their skid and move toward cementing a playoff spot with just four games left in the season. The Sabres will be looking to avenge the two losses at the hands of the Braves during their last encounter in Springdale earlier this season.
The Exploits Blades are 5-5, while the Lewisporte Seahawks and Twillingate Combines are both 5-7.
